VICENZA, Italy — The Army’s main headquarters building at Caserma Ederle now features a gift from an Italian citizen, dedicated to a fallen American soldier.

Alberto Ianello, a carpenter who has worked with Americans at Caserma Ederle for most of the past decade, spent part of the past three years coming up with an idea and building it.

Ianello said he has gotten to know many Americans while working on a number of projects on base. He came up with the idea as a memorial to Cpl. Sascha Struble, who died in a helicopter crash in April 2005 in Afghanistan. He and Struble had worked together in the base’s claims office.

The table top is crystal, mounted on top of books made of wood. Alberto Ianello’s wife, Katia, and brother, Giuseppe, also contributed to the project.

Maj. Gen. Frank Helmick, the commander of the Southern European Task Force (Airborne) accepted the gift in a ceremony last week.

No charges recommended in friendly fire deathsMONTPELIER, Vt. — An Army investigator recommended that no charges be filed against a U.S. Special Forces machine gunner who killed two allied soldiers during a nighttime battle last year in Afghanistan, according to a review of documents by The Associated Press.

The recommendation is in reports released by the Army on Tuesday about the friendly fire deaths of Vermont National Guard 1st Sgt. John Thomas Stone, 52, and Canadian Pvt. Robert Costall, 22.

Their deaths, “while regrettable, are understandable in the context of this firefight,” said one document, a report written by an American Army officer whose name was blacked out.

The reports concluded that an inadequate base defense plan, fatigue, lack of communication from headquarters and significant supply problems at the base in southern Afghanistan contributed to the shootings.

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